ERIC ED370450: Blue Collar and Beyond: The Experiences of Non-English Speaking Background Women in the Australian Labour Force [and] Strategies for Action.

148 Pages·1993·2 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
FL 800 768
ED 370 450
Alcorso, Caroline; Harrison, Graham
AUTHOR
Blue Collar and Beyond: The Experiences of
TITLE
Non-English Speaking Background Women in the
Australian Labour Force [and) Strategies for
Action.
Australian Commonwealth/State Council on
INSTITUT3ON
Non-English-Speaking Background Women's Issues.
PUB DATE
93
NOTE
148p.
Viewpoints
Descriptive (141)
PUB TYPE
Reperts
(Opinion/Position Papers, Essays, etc.) (120)
EDRS PRICE MF01/PC06 Plus Postage.
Demography; *Economic Factors; *Employed Women;
DESCRIPTORS
*Employment Patterns; English (Second Language);
Females; Foreign Countries; Information Sources;
*Labor Force; *Limited English Speaking; Policy
Formation; Public Policy; Research Methodology; Trend
Analysis
*Australia
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
The report on women with non-English-speaking
backgrounds (NESB) in the Australian labor force was prepared to
review the experience and needs of this population in recent years
and to examine the various available sources of information. The
first section reviews the standard statistical sources and their
research methodologies. The second and third sections use these
quantitative data to examine recent trends in NESB women's labor
force experience. One examines the main trends in demographic and
educational patterns, unemployment and self-employment patterns, and
employment-related training. The other looks at the situation of NESB
women in the context of the 1990-92 recession, particularly trends in
unemployment, the manufacturing industry, employment patterns related
to ethnic group or nationality, and women's participation in national
labor market programs. The fourth section considers the value of
qualitative and community-based research used in addition to
quantitative data. Report-related data, data summaries, and notes on
methodological issues and a bibliography are appended. A companion
volume summarizes findings on specific issues and makes
(MSE) (Adjunct ERIC
recommendations for policy and action.
Clearinghouse on Literacy Education)
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Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
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the commonwealth-state council on
women's issues
non-english speaking background
"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS
U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
OTIrce ol Edjcational Re Search and .mormemeni
MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
EDUCATIONAL RE SOURCE S INFORMATION
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rneni haS Deem reprdut ed as
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ganrzafron
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Onginaling rt
Minor changes have rxaen made trs insprpye
reprOduction Qualify
Points 01 crew Or Opinions Stated rn this dracu
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
went do not necessarily represent (Alicia.
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)."
OEM positron or policy
lue collar and
beyond
---41 the experiences of non-english speaking background
australian labour force
women in the
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Commonwealth of Australia 1993
ISBN 0 644 24968 4
First published February 1993
Reprinted June 1993
This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the
Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process
without prior written permission from the Australian Government
Publishing Service. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction
and rights should be addressed to the Manager, Commonwealth
Information Services, Australian Government Publishing Service.
GPO Box 84, Canberra ACT 2601.
Published for the Office of the Status of Women.
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet,
by the Australian Government Publishing Service,
Canberra 1993
Printed ip Australia by A. J. LAW, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra
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5
NESB WOMEN IN THE LABOUR FOFCE
INTRODUCTION
force experience, is arguably
Employment, and more generally, labour
well-being in advanced industrial
the single main determinant of social
societies such as Australia.
non-English speaking background
The employment experience of
of the
(NESB) women has been one of the primary concerns
Speaking Background
Commonwealth-State Council on Non-English
1989. The first Council (1989. ?2)
Women's Issues since it was established in
and language services, as
nominated employment, along with health
focus its attention. The second
the three issues on which it wished to
identified employment as a
Council, which first met in July, 1992, has also
priority area of attention.
the experiences of NESB
This report was prepared in order to review
force in recent years, and to describe the
women in the Australian labour
information about NESB women can be
common sources ',TOM which
value of qualitative and community-
drawn. In particular, it focuses on the
research data.
based research in addition to quantitative
workers and their distinctive
The characteristics typical of NESB women
matters by now well-canvassed in
labour force situation in Australia are
report. Attention has been
the literature and form the subject of this
whose
focused on them as a disadvantaged social group
their positioning in the
disadvantage is seen to stem at least partly from
positioning, and factors affecting it, it
labour force. To best understand this
Australia's changing economy
is necessary to examine the context of
currently being implemented in the
and the various reforms and policies
labour market.
Australia's economic performance
and systems of work are currently
In the national arena, industrial relations
First. Australia's economy, like
subject to a variety of pressures to change.
which began in most OECD
that of most countries, is in a recession
high rates of employment growth
countries in 1990. Australia had relatively
of the new jobs created were part-
in the period 1980-90, although most
however, net employment fell
time or casual ones. From 1991 on,
'double digit' figures for the first
sharply, and unemployment went into
time since the Great Depression.
low productivity growth, even by
The period 1983-9 was characterised by
1992:76-7). Indeed, Australia's low
diminished world standards (Indecs,
industrialised countries, has
productivity growth, compared to other
standards. Other national
been cited as a threat to current living
6
NESB WOMEN IN THE LABOUR FORCE
2
economic problems evident in the second half of the 1980s included
the
depreciation of the exchange rate, the high adverse balance of
payments, the deterioration in the terms of trade, and the rising
external
debt. These problems increasingly attracted the attention of
federal and
state governments which have co-ordinated a series of
macro- and
micro-economic reforms aimed at overcoming them.
Industry policy
The period of Labor government since 1983 has been
marked by
manufacturing industry policies of particular relevance to NESB
women
workers. First, there has been a relatively rapid phasing out of
industry tariff
protection. Secondly, there has been a series of industry plans which
have provided the framework for tariff reductions and which
have
sought to promote economic restructuring. The plans have included
new assistance arrangements designed to favour the development of
higher value added, better quality, less price sensitive products,
and
therefore to promote exports.
In the 1950s and 1960s the development of the manufacturing
industry
was fostered through an array of subsidies, tariffs, bounties and quotas
that lessened the threat of competition from
overseas firms. While the
trend since then has been for the reduction in protection, in the
period
1975-85 protection actually increased for
some industries, including the
clothing and footwear industries (Indecs, 1992:288).
Since 1984-5 a phased reduction in protection has been
instituted, usually
in the context of tripartite, negotiated industry plans. The
acknowledged
consequence has been a reduction of jobs in the relevant industries. To
offset this, some plans have included labour adjustment packages
of
unprecedented generosity for retrenched workers1. Twice in
recent
years (in 1988 and 1991) the Federal Government has revised and
increased the speed of tariff reduction. It is
now envisaged that by July,
1996, protection to the manufacturing industry will
average only 5 per
cent.
Award restructuring
The reform of industrial relations, under successive 'Accords,'
has been
specifically designed (and justified) in terms of improving productivity,
and hence living standards. Since 1987, the granting of national
wage
increases has been partly based on employers and employees taking
steps that would lead to greater productivity and reduce costs.
In 1988,
I The TCF Labour Adjustment Package, for examplejncludes
income support (regardless of a
partner's earnings) of up to 52 weeks formal training and up to 104 weeks where
a mixture of
preparatory and formal vocational training was required (Yeatman, 142:68). It should be noted,
however, that considerable difficulties, referred to in Section 4, exist for NESB
women in
gaining access to these benefits, thereby limiting the value of the package.
7
3
NESB WOMEN IN THE LABOUR FORCE
Relations Commission's Structural
this was formalised in the Industrial
designed to promote the flexibility
Efficiency Principle. A number of steps
of
set down, and the dependence
of work practices in an industry were
award reform was entrenched.
wage rises on workplace and
productivity
to bring about greater
Since this time, the main initiative used
restructuring. This process entails a
at the industry level has been award
the
with the aim of greatly reducing
revision of existing industrial awards
the number of tasks that can be
number of wage-skill levels, increasing
'broad-banding')2 and
(that is,
performed by workers within each level
practices that are considered
removing other work and management
has obvious benefits for
to be barriers to efficiency. While the process
Unions (ACTU) and the
employers, the Australian Council of Trade
argued that award restructuring
Federal Government have consistently
workers and
to all workers, including lower-paid
can offer many benefits
Government
Women's Bureau n the Federal
women. According to the
Training (DEET):
Department of Education, Employment and
has the potential to provide
The process of award restructuring
better paid work, and greater
workers with more meaningful and
1990:Foreword).
mobility in the labour market (DEET,
Minimum Rates Adjustment process,
Indeed, the ACTU argues that the
restructuring, has been extremely
which it embarked on as part of award
undervaluation of women's skills. This
important jn addressing the historic
women,
the major industries employing
process, now completed in
Industrial Relations Commission
involves work value cases before the
in predominantly female
(IRC) in which benchmark classifications
classifications in awards for male-
industries are evaluated against
dominated industries.
Enterprise bargaining
been
industrial relations system have
Very recently, further reforms to the
system known as enterprise
encouraged. A new federal wage-fixing
the
1991 and then formalised in
bargaining was accepted by the IRC in
for
This Act lays down guidelines
Industrial Relations Amendment Act, 1992.
the future role of the IRC. This
enterprise-based bargaining and details
of the state legislation
national legislation moves almost as far as some
relations,
of decentralising industrial
(for exampie, in NSW) in terms
As
restricting the role of tribunals.
encouraging collective bargaining and
Australian
'More flexibility exists (in
noted in a recent economic analysis:
nearly two decades' (Indecs,
industrial relations) than at any time :n
central place in federal than in
1992:58). Unions, however, have a more
state legislation.
unions have successfully argued
2 Although note that in some areas of women's employment,
classifications
increasing the number of occupational
that award restructuring should involve
and vnrrowing the tasks carried out in each.
4
NESB WOMEN IN THE LABOUR FORCE
At the current time, two processes for determining wages and working
conditions co-exist; national and state wage cases, linked to the award
structure, and enterprise-based agreements. So far, most of the
agreements reached have represented relatively highly-paid and well-
organised male workers; first and foremost in the metals industry.
However, conservative estimates suggest that by mid-1993, 50 per cent
of Australian workers will be covered by enterprise agreements (Indecs,
1992:57).
At the time of its decision, the IRC expressed misgivings about the impact
of enterprise bargaining on women workers:
We cannot predict the extent of the disadvantage which female
workers will experience if the Commission gives its approval to a
scheme of enterprise bargaining. We do accept, however, that
enterprise bargaining - especially bargaining for over-award
payments places at a relative disadvantage those sections of
the labour force where women predominate (cited in Women's
Electoral Lobby, 1992:1).
Competency-based educaiion and training
Another integral part of the tripartite agenda for increasing Australia's
international competitiveness and boosting productivity levels during the
second half of the 1980s has been the promotion of vocational
education and training. Initiatives have been undertaken to create a
national training infrastructure, under the auspices of the National Training
Board which was established in 1989. Agreement from the state
governments was obtained in 1990 for the adoption of competency-
based training as the basis for delivering and accrediting training across
Australia. A competency-based approach was to apply also to the
recognition of immigrants overseas skills. The adoption of a
competency-based approach means that skills are assessed in terms of
outcomes and capacities, rather than years of training or formal
qualifications. It has therefore been seen as having considerable
potential for increasing the value attached to women's traditionally
undervalued skills and to improving the recognition of the often
underutilised skills of immigrants.
Accompanying this creation of a national training system has been the
emphasis on the development of skill-related career paths through
award restructuring. The latter has been used as the incentive to
encourage employers to invest more in training their workforces, which,
while smaller than before, will be able to operate comfortably in more
technologically advanced workplaces (see Yeatman, 1992:1). Thus, for
example, the new Victorian Clerical and Administrative Employees
Award opens up a clear career path in which women can move
through seven grades of clerical and administrative work by utilising
agreed upon vocational training appropriate to each level (Probert
9
5
FORCE
NESB WOMEN IN THE LABOUR
concepts are embodied in the new
and Wajcman, 1991:2). Similar
the
has eight graduated levels based on
clothing industry award, which
competencies (see Yeatman, 1992:
attainment of common, specified
76-7).
This report
is necessary to shape
Continuing micro-economic reform
in
deliver durable improvements
an economy which can
jobs, more work
the day-to-day lives of Australians more
people dependent on
satisfaction, greater growth, fewer
adequate assistance for
welfare and a capacity to afford
profoundly, human
the truly needy. Micro reform serves, very
Microecomic Reform, 10
needs (Bob Hawke, Statement on
April, 1989).
industrial developments of recent
Some of the main economic and
for analysing
above to provide a context
years have been outlined
in
Many of these developments,
NESB women's employment.
and the government's economic
vocational training, industrial relations
benefits to all workers. At the same
policies, are seen to offer potential
been
reports on the topics that have
time, the small body of qualitative
affected
recounted experience of those
produced so far, as well as the
realisation
there are many barriers to the
by these reforms, suggests that
The overall shift
the case of women workers.
of those potential benefits in
field"; the
'pursuit of the level playing
can be summed up as the
and
limiting government intervention
ideology is that by removing or
forces will be free to operate,
controls, market-based economic
the
well-being and the well-being of
resulting in overall economic
costs
well-being served? And will social
population. But is everyone's
also be borne equally?
suffer as a
that certain individuals may
In some analyses it is accepted
The need
that serve majority interests.
result of micro-economc reforms
in the
is therefore acknowledged, as
to compensate those individuals
from
Obtaining 'positive outcomes'
TCF package described above.
economy.
difficult, however, in a depressed
such packages may be
vulnerable
economic changes on
Moreover, the consequences of
the reach of
be beyond either the view or
social groups Irtuy frequently
government.
in
of the situation of NESB women
There is a need for clear analysis
enterprise bargaining, competency-
relation to award restructuring,
generally. It
and micro-economic policy
based education and training
these various
women's interests within
is certainly important that NESB
that these
it should not be assumed
debates be asserted. However,
for Australian
NESB women as they are
issues are as immediate for
1 0